Grace Gilbert
Another example of how much women were capable of even within the circus was Grace Gilbert. Known for her auburn beard, she joined Ringling Bros. circus in 1901 and was quickly ‘stolen’ by Barnum and Bailey to replace Annie Jones after she had passed. Taking on such a big role by filling Annie’s shoes could not have been an easy feat, but Grace quickly made a name for herself. Rather than just working in the side show and presenting her womanliness, it is said that Grace used her strength and worked with other laborers helping with the set up and tents. 13 This was so outlandish to others that her gender was often questioned, reaching a point where she actually retired for a time due to the speculation before returning to exhibit once more. Similar to Annie, she died rather young of a sudden illness before reaching the age of 50.